The Stories We Bring to the Table

The Palouse-Clearwater Food Coalition will host its seventh annual Food Summit on Jan. 25, with the theme “Resilience and Regeneration.” Past summits have attracted farmers, educators, volunteers and other people interested in learning about local food issues.

“There’s a lot of conversation now about how people connect through stories. Within the PCFC, we have been talking about how we can use stories to help people understand what’s going on in our regional food system,” said Colette DePhelps, an educator with University of Idaho Extension, which is partnering with area groups to present the day-long summit.

The event features keynote speaker Merna Ann Hecht, editor of “Our Table of Memories.” The book features poems about native foods by high school school students who are refugees from conflict zones. These are paired with recipes by immigrant women. Hecht will emphasize the impact of storytelling to raise awareness of local food issues to inspire change, DePhelps said.

An accomplished poet, storyteller and gardener from Tacoma, Hecht understands how a food system works, DePhelps said.

“She has really done an amazing job working with youth to have their stories of food be part of the heritage that they bring to the U.S. as immigrants or refugees. Her own passions for cooking and gardening and local food fit so well into what the theme is for our summit.”

Online pre-registration is required by Jan. 20. Scholarships are available. Early registration is recommended, as past summits have filled to capacity. Lunch is included, and there will be a children’s activity room for grades kindergarten through eighth. Nonperishable food and personal hygiene items, such as sunscreen and first aid supplies, will be collected to benefit local food banks and migrant farm workers in Idaho and Washington.